AMSilk explained

AMSilk is an industrial supplier of synthetic silk biopolymers.[1] The polymers are biocompatible and breathable.[2] The company was founded in 2008 and has its headquarters at Campus Neuried in Munich.[3] AMSilk is an industrial biotechnology company with a proprietary production process for their silk materials.[4]

AMSilk produces a lightweight material trademarked as Biosteel,[5] created from recombinant spider silk, which was used by Adidas to create a biodegradable running shoe.[6] Jens Klein, former CEO of AMSilk, said during an interview that the biodegradable material can help reduce the amount of waste that has to be burned or pollutes the environment.[7]

AMSilk is also developing breast implants made of biodegradable spider silk in collaboration with the German company Polytech.[8]

History

AMSilk was founded in 2008 by Lin Römer and Professor Thomas Scheibel in Planegg, Germany, with the aim of becoming the world's first industrial supplier[9] of synthetic silk biopolymers.[10]

In 2011, the company partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) to develop a new spin process for the AMSilk spider silk proteins.[11]

In 2015, AMSilk began producing Biosteel® Fibre made from 100% silk proteins based on natural spider silk.[12] Then, in November 2016, the company used its Biosteel® Fibre to collaborate with Adidas[13] to create the ‘Futurecraft Biofabric’ shoe prototype.[14] The Biosteel® Yarn fibre-based shoe is 100% biodegradable and is designed to replicate spider silk.[15]

In April 2017, AMSilk announced its partnership with Gruschwitz Textilwerke.[16]

In 2019, Swiss cosmetics manufacturer Givaudan acquired the cosmetics arm of AMSilk to expand the use of spider silk technology in cosmetic products.[17]

In May 2021, the company secured a EUR 29 Million Series C fundraising.[18] In April 2023 AMSilk raised an additional €25 million to accelerate industrial scale-up and expand commercial operations.[19]

In February 2023, Evonik Industries signed a contract with AMSilk to supply industrial quantities of protein products made from the fermentation of renewable raw materials.[20]

In 2023, AMSilk partnered with Brain Biotech, a company that develops and manufactures bio-based products for industry, to develop bio-based protein fibres for the textile industry.[21]

Founding and Development

AMSilk has developed a range of vegan silk biopolymers designed for application in various medical devices, focusing on enhancing the bio-compatibility of medical implants.[22]

In 2017, AMSilk was named one of the 50 most innovative companies in the world by the German edition of MIT Technology Review.[23]

In 2018, AMSilk signed a deal with Airbus to develop a spider silk-based material for lightweight, high-performance planes.[24] The collaboration aimed to launch the first prototype composite material in 2019.[25]

Within the same year, the company partnered with Polytech Health & Aesthetics, the leading manufacturer of silicone implants, to begin a clinical trial of silk-coated implants on a handful of patients in Austria.[26]

Headquarters

AMSilk is currently located at Campus Neuried in Munich, Germany, after relocating in October 2022.[27]

Products and services

AMSilk partnered with Swiss watchmaker Omega SA in 2019 to make the Nato watch strap, which blends polyamide and Biosteel.[28]

In January 2022, Mercedes-Benz partnered with AMSilk to develop sustainable door pulls using Biosteel fibre on its VISION EQXX[29] concept electric car.[30]

Since announcing its partnership with Airbus in 2018,[31] AMSilk has worked on developing silk-reinforced polymers as a substitute for Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs).[32]

Environmental impact

AMSilk has worked with fashion brands to create sustainable alternatives using Biosteel® Fiber, a biosynthetic silk made by adding silk genes into bacteria through biofermentation. This material has been used in collaboration with Omega and Adidas for a watch strap and the "Futurecraft" shoe.[33] AMSilk's Biosteel® Fiber, used in these collaborations is notable for its biodegradability, breaking down in seawater and on land within a few months.[34]

Utilizing a bio-fabrication process that reprograms microorganisms based on spider DNA, the company produces this silk-like material at scale using bacteria and natural fermentation.[35]

In November 2022, AMSilk participated as one of 100 renowned companies in the VISION 2045 Summit held alongside the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).[36]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AMSilk Develops Spidersilk, a Biocompatible Material for Use in Cosmetic Formulations. cosmetics.specialchem.com. 2016-05-24.
  2. Web site: AMSilk and Fraunhofer partner in new spin process for spider silk. www.innovationintextiles.com. 2016-05-24.
  3. Web site: AMSilk Moves to New Site, Will Produce "Game Changing" Vegan Silk at Industrial Scale . Vegconomist . 20 October 2022 . 2024-03-22.
  4. Synthetic spider silk capsules assemble themselves (Wired UK). Wired UK. 2016-06-07 . Drake . Nadia .
  5. Web site: Biosteel Fiber. biosteel-fiber.com. March 14, 2019.
  6. News: Adidas is launching biodegradable shoes that can be dissolved in 36 hours. Business Insider. 2018-07-16.
  7. News: Meet AMSilk, the German Biotech Behind Adidas' Biodegradable Shoes. 2018-06-04. Labiotech.eu. 2018-07-16. en-US.
  8. Web site: POLYTECH and AMSilk Announce Start of Joint International Clinical Study for Silk-Coated Medical Implants. February 2018. 2018-07-16. 2018-07-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20180716140520/https://www.amsilk.com/Contents/user_upload/20180227_POLYTECH_and_AMSilk_Announce_Clinical_Study.pdf. dead.
  9. Web site: Food tech: satisfying investors' appetite for growth? . Financial Times . 2024-03-21.
  10. Web site: AMSilk, world's first industrial supplier of environmentally friendly silk biopolymers . Yarnsandfibres.com . 2024-03-21.
  11. Web site: AMSilk And Fraunhofer Institute For Applied Polymer Research Join In The Development Of New Spin Process For Spider Silk . Textile World . 13 September 2011 . 2024-03-21.
  12. Web site: Nature has all the answers . Textile Technology . 2024-03-21.
  13. News: Adidas's high-tech factory brings production back to Germany . The Economist . 2024-03-21.
  14. Web site: Burns . Mark . Adidas unveils world's first performance shoe made exclusively from biosteel fiber . SI . 18 November 2016 . 2024-03-21.
  15. Web site: Rodríguez Fernández . Clara . These Spider Silk Sneakers from Adidas Are Biodegradable . Labiotech . 18 November 2016 . 2024-03-21.
  16. Web site: AMSilk and Gruschwitz to develop products using Biosteel fibre . Innovation in Textiles . 2024-03-21.
  17. Web site: Rodríguez Fernández . Clara . Cosmetics Giant Acquires German Biotech's Spider Silk Cosmetics Arm . Labiotech . 30 April 2019 . 2024-03-21.
  18. Web site: Food tech: satisfying investors' appetite for growth? . Financial Times . 2024-03-21.
  19. Web site: Extension of Series C financing . Textile Technology . 2024-03-21.
  20. Web site: Scott . Alex . Evonik to make spider silk for AMSilk . Chemical and Engineering News . 2024-03-21.
  21. Web site: Glover . Simon . Biotech pioneers to partner on protein fibres . Ecotextile News . 8 February 2023 . 2024-03-21.
  22. Web site: Spider insider: Optimise interactions between the body and implants . Medical Plastics News . 15 September 2022 . 2024-03-22.
  23. Web site: Award for the 50 most innovative companies in the world . Heise Online . 12 September 2017 . 2024-03-22.
  24. Web site: Synthetic spider silk: positive spin . Financial Times . 2024-03-22.
  25. Web site: Feldman . Amy . Spider Silk In Airplanes? Germany's AMSilk Inks Deal With Airbus To Develop A New High-Performance Material . Forbes . 2024-03-22.
  26. Web site: AMSilk GmbH: POLYTECH and AMSilk Announce Start of Joint International Clinical Study for Silk-Coated Medical Implants . Yahoo Finance . 27 February 2018 . 2024-03-22.
  27. Web site: AMSilk Moves to New Site, Will Produce "Game Changing" Vegan Silk at Industrial Scale . Vegconomist . 20 October 2022 . 2024-03-22.
  28. Web site: Rodríguez Fernández . Clara . Watch Strap Made of Recombinant Spider Silk Launches in Europe . Labiotech . 31 January 2019 . 2024-03-19.
  29. Web site: Digital World Premiere of the VISION EQXX - the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever . Mercedes-Benz Media . 2024-03-19.
  30. Web site: Mercedes-Benz Opts for AMSilk Vegan Materials in New Concept Car . Vegconomist . 2024-03-19.
  31. Web site: Feldman . Amy . Spider Silk In Airplanes? Germany's AMSilk Inks Deal With Airbus To Develop A New High-Performance Material . Forbes . 2024-03-22.
  32. News: Aircraft construction is being transformed . The Economist . 2024-03-19.
  33. Web site: Grobosch . Lara . Biocouture: This is the most sustainable way to produce materials . Vogue Germany . 8 November 2022 . 2024-03-20.
  34. Web site: Pells . Rachael . Fibres of the future – How is science combating fashion's sustainability problem? . UPM.com . 2024-03-20.
  35. Web site: Grobosch . Lara . Biocouture: This is the most sustainable way to produce materials . Vogue Germany . 8 November 2022 . 2024-03-20.
  36. Web site: Pinnock . Olivia . Fashion Attendees At Cop27 Say Meaningful Targets And Greenwashing Are Key Concerns . Forbes . 2024-03-20.

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